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TooDrunkToWalk
I hate Romantic movies.
I am Indian and not really a fan of Bollywood movies, don't watch too many Bollywood movies.
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La casa de papel (2017)
A work of genious
WARNING - SOME MINOR SPOILER, BUT NO MAJOR SPOILERS. NOTHING THAT WILL RUIN YOUR EXPERIENCE OF WATCHING THE SHOW
I just finished watching the show. I am truly struggling to find the words that do full justice to the show.
I am afraid one cannot go into this review without going into some basic details of the plot. So a person collects together a group of robbers and they aim to rob whatever is the place in Spain where money is printed.
Naturally there is a plan in place where they have worked out all the outcomes and issues that could potentially arise and how to deal with them. Then the game begins. For it is a game, cops and robbers.
This may seem similar to a lot of shows and films that have been done. However for what it is worth, it is far superior to any of those shows. For a start the story has so much depth that its hard to believe they fit all that in, in just 15 episodes.
Every robber has a unique character and its own character development arc, each with its own twists and turns. Then there are the hostages and a lot of them have their own story arcs and how it affects the outcome of the hostage situation.
Lastly there is the story arc of some of the policemen involved. How having to deal with the hostage situation takes a toll on them. The no. of little stories that this show covers is insane. Each of these little stories eventually leading to the climax.
Then there is near top of the stuff acting from nearly everyone, especially the lead actor who I won't name here, because in so many actors why give away who the lead was in the review. Just watch for yourself.
Naturally like with every show there were bits that I enjoyed more and some bits that I felt could have been better. However I don't want to go into those because they would be major spoiler territory. Suffice it to say that the list of whatever bits I didn't enjoy, is a very short one.
I feel I must give this warning not to go in expecting a big gimmicky robbery story with a 'twist' ending. I will even say outright that there is no big twist ending or a big surprise reveal or anything of that sort.
The show doesn't cheat you. Like for instance some shows just hide a whole side of the story or give away bits selectively so as to manipulate the viewers and set up a twist finish trying to seem clever that way. This show lays its cards out fully before you and you know exactly who is who and who is doing what.
That is where the fun lies, you as the viewers know the full picture and then you see how different characters react in a tough situation, which will either help the guys you were rooting or disrupt their plans. Then you watch those whose plans were disrupted struggle with the situation they find themselves in.
This show is more a drama then a typical con or heist film. So shed whatever stereotypes you have about such films or shows when you watch. The show will not disappoint.
Special Correspondents (2016)
A Pleasant Surprise. A very solid film overall
Don't go in expecting this to be the next Citizen Kane, but don't believe the negative reviews either.
This film starts off as being a typical mismatched buddy comedy, but its plot has lots of depth and is quite multi layered. The characters are all very interesting as well and the first half of the film is a total knockout.
The story goes to a point where the two protagonists end up in a tight corner and you really want to know how they will possibly get out of it. Its a very intriguing situation to say the least. Its outlandish but still within the realms of being believable.
Then there is the comedy. I don't think I ever laughed out loud but the film definitely had me smiling for the bulk of its length.
The final part of the film was not how I would have chosen to close the chapter, but even so it is the only little gripe I have about the film.
As I said, don't expect a cinematic masterpiece when you go to watch the film, BUT, this is definitely one of the most solid films in the mismatched buddy comedy (mis)adventure genre to have ever been made (at least in recent years for sure).
Its not the perfect film for sure, but well worth a watch.
Doctor Strange (2016)
A Flawed Entertainer
Its far from a perfect film. The narrative follows a tried and tested and clichéd structure. Lets just say there was nothing innovative in the story format.
Benedict Cumberbatch was excellent, as was Tilda Swinton. The graphics were excellent, and the final resolution was innovative and done well.
The film had good dashes of humor scattered throughout, the jokes work and that is a good thing.
However as has become the norm in Marvel films the villain was a let down. Clever at times, but for the most part easily defeated, and always seemed a step behind the hero.
Ejiofor as Mordo was good in his acting, but to be honest the script doesn't really give him anything important to do. He is reduced to being Strange's sidekick at times. The internal conflict that he is supposed to be having also doesn't come across that well, and he seems a one dimensional character for the most part.
Wong will have left a more lasting impression on most viewers than Mordo.
The story is relatively simple and there isn't a lot happening that is going to be hard to keep track of.
However the film really does work as an overall origin story. Strange's journey is the highlight and does a good job of binding the narrative together, despite the many issues I have listed. Rachel McAdams delivers a fine performance, and was memorable in the short screen time she got.
While its not a perfect film, far from it in fact, but the action coupled with the amazing graphics and effects, the film has enough about it to keep viewers entertained and involved throughout.
The Night Manager (2016)
Great Acting, Great Direction ... not so great writing.
Night Manager is a series that draws in the viewer into a very intriguing world, from the get go. The second the series starts, you are immediately captivated by whats going on screen, and even though you have known characters for barely minutes you find yourself either rooting for them or loathing them.
You care for the characters and above all you can't wait to find out what happens next. Thats the target of any show, especially thrillers. If the viewer doesn't want to eagerly know whats in store for the characters in the story, then the show fails.
Night Manager doesn't have this issue. Credit goes to the Director and all the actors for this. The director has done an incredible job of creating a world on screen thats believable and something the viewer wants to be a part of.
The acting is just through the roof. Tom Hiddleston is phenomenal in his role, and now that I think about it, he is absolutely wasted as Loki. He deserves characters that have more depth to them, and playing stereotype textbook villains is a just a colossal waste of his acting abilities.
There is hardly a scene in the series that Hiddleston is in that he doesn't own. Hugh Laurie was also on the top of his game and together Hiddleston and Laurie deliver excellence episode after episode.
The support cast was brilliant, especially Elizabeth Debicki as the radiant Jed.
However what holds the show back is the writing. Its not the most water tight plot you will find, and there are plenty of times during the show, where the writer has the characters doing things that would have you questioning if that really was the most rational way to go about things.
However even with this drawback, the fine direction and the absolute top quality acting will make you want to put on the next episode as soon as one episode ends.
Django Unchained (2012)
Just A Brilliant Film ... With Waltz and Samuel L. brilliant performances
What I ABSOLUTELY loved was Tarantino getting blown up. I have never seen a film before where the Director making a cameo appearance gets blown up in the film.
The first act was really good and I enjoyed the relation between the Dentist (don't know who to write the character's name and the Dentist seems right) and Django building up. Was handled really well, and didn't look at all forced. To some the first act may appear to drag on but not to me ... I was a little disappointed when the movie moved into Second Act. I really enjoyed the first act so much.
The only gripe I have about the first act, is it doesn't really explain why the Dentist, cares so for Django. I mean I get that he wanted help get some bounties and since Django helped him with that he wants to help Django in return, but that he would go so out of the way to help him find his wife, all cos of what his wife was named, was well ... you know. I figured it would perhaps tie in with another bounty and that the Dentist had gotten some clue from the fact that the wife spoke German that we was not letting slip at that point. Anyway the point is apart from this tiny gripe I loved the first act.
The second act was even better, and apart from Tarantino blowing up, the strongest part of the film. I am so sry I keep going on and on about Tarantino, but I just loved that bit. Returning back to the point, the second act was brilliant. Leading upto the scene at the Dinner table and the scene with Candy ready to sawing through that Skull. That build up was fantastic. I was greatly excited with how the movie would go from here on.
The movie till that point was like one giant game of Chess and so far the Dentist and Django had played very well, and clearly had the upper hand in the game. Closing in totally unknown to the opponent on check mate. However now Candy knew the game and suddenly he knew had held all the cards ... it just sets up the third act beautifully. I was really intrigued. What will Candy to next.
The next move was of course Candy's man barges through a door and points a gun at the Dentist and Django and that disappointed me a little. I mean sure it was a great move to make, but it was clear that the chess game was now up. Think of this way, you are watching a game of chess and then suddenly one of the two players picks out a gun and points it at the other guys head and says, who wins? There is no doubt who won, but that is not playing chess anymore. The "chess" game between the Dentist and Candy was great to watch, and it abruptly finished. I would have liked Candy to respond in a "chess" move way and not go all guns blazing. However, what he did also worked like a charm.
So the price for the slave girl was 12000 USDs and the Dentist. flips out the money in a flash and this is where I have my only other real gripe with the movie. Remember how I said earlier that the Dentist appeared to be going out of his way to help Django. I at the time thought that this may lead in with some bounty, but what the Dentist did just didn't go in with the bounty hunter that he had been built up to be. I mean he was parting with 12000 USDs of his hard earned bounty to get a guy some love !! Seemed out of character, or well beyond limit. I mean I would understand him helping Django till that point, but that he would happily dish out 12000 USDs in flash seemed to cross that line.
However the part that follows is sheer genius. Beautifully we see how two men let their prides take control of themselves. One whose pride has been hurt and who is looking to restore some of it, and another who wants to gloat. The deal has taken place all they have to do is walk out of there and both men will live, but as I said, pride got in the way of all that. I loved the build up to that and I could totally understand the Dentist just shooting Candy. Gloat not you a$$hole.
However after this, it went all western on me. Just lots of shooting and not much happening plotwise, but then again most of the plot had already happened, all that remained was to close the story. Tarantino did that in fine style. The payoff was watching the Butler getting shot off and being left to be blown up. Samuel Jackson totally stole the show. Easily the best performance of the movie. Though Waltz was great as well. On a side note did Django have to shoot Candy's Sister, what had she done !! Having said this the third act was the weakest of the movie. I would have really enjoyed Candy stringing along the Dentist and Django in a more "chess" like manner than forcing them to lose with a gun in their faces. Candy just showed his cards too soon. Also while I really liked the tension building up, once the papers are signed, but the third act is mostly just shooting and more shooting and I felt that a bit more story and a little less shooting could have been added to the third act.
All in a all a great movie ... with some super acting. Waltz and that Butler totally stole the show. Di Caprio and Foxx were great. The film has a lot of what Tarantino is best at, and that is STYLE.
The Game (1997)
Genius
I don't know how accurate this is gonna be as I saw this movie 4 to 5 years ago. The only reason I am going to write a review for this is that I have only recently started writing reviews.
The very fact that I want to review this movie is a good indication of how much I liked it at the time. This movie as gripping as they come. Its a very intriguing tale of a birthday gift, very unique in its nature, from a younger brother, who his elder brother feels is a failure in life, to his elder brother, for whom success in the world is the only thing he wants, and who has spent his life chasing these worldly goals, and has forgotten to live. This gift will take him on a roller coaster ride for sure, but the end of the game, is not known and very surprising.
I felt the relationship between two brothers has been brilliantly portrayed in the script, and in the thrill a minute ride the movie is, this well portrayed relationship between the two brothers at two different ends of life is what elevates this movie from being just any thrill a movie, to being one of the truly memorable ones.
I don't want to give away anything so will keep it as spoiler free as possible. So I will suffice it to say that the twists never stop coming, and even when you get to a point in the movie where you are sure that one particular twist must be the last, you get another one 5 minutes later. Also the twists are not the hollywoodised twists, which are there in a movie just for the sake of it. No, it is one of the most cleverly written plots ever in a movie, and easily (for me) David Fincher's finest hour.
Michael Douglas and Sean Penn (whose role could have been a little longer) absolutely nail their characters, and when the movie is done, Mr. Nicholas Van Orton is a name you will never forget.
Its is must for you if you like intelligent thrillers that keep you guessing.
Hugo (2011)
A very immersing movie, with a touch of mystery about it
I must say, I found the movie to be very gripping and this in one movie, where the plot seemingly twists from direction to another direction gradually, but not in one moment but very slowly and when the movie ends you realise the movie was not at all about what you were thinking about, but something else entirely. There is no one moment, where this plot twist happens its generally over the course of the movie that the question presented to you near the start of the movie, is not the pivotal question, even though at the start it appears to be.
There is a hint of mystery hanging over the movie throughout, and gradually the layers are peeled off, but far from things becoming clear they become more tangled up and then the movie takes its own turn, and things become more clear, and then the movie ends.
Many questions remain unanswered, and normally in 95 out of 100 movies when this happens, the movie is a disappointment. Not with Hugo though, it is one of those movies, where these questions remaining unanswered, is one of those times where you joyfully realise, that you were asking the wrong questions and more importantly that you focused too much on these questions to understand that the movie had taken a rather interesting turn, and the person who you thought to be the protagonist, at the start, while still a very important character, is not who the movie is about, but another person has very silently and unnoticeably stepped into his shoes.
It is a very satisfying movie from that point of view. Oh and those unanswered questions, are not really unanswered, just that the movie never expressly answers them. Once the movie, ends you only need to think back to those unanswered questions and you will find answers to them, just that they are a lot simpler than you thought they would be.
A good movie experience all along.
The Avengers (2012)
Style.......lots of style, and when all the style is done, some more style
There is one word that sums up Avengers and that is style and it has awesome witty dialogues that are funny as hell.
There was always this fear with Avengers that it would fail to give every character its due, but every single superhero gets time to do his thing, do it in style and look really cool doing it. The interplay between the characters is brilliant. There are lots witty dialogues and most of them range from being very funny to being downright hilarious and there are many scenes that had the audience laughing really hard. Without intending to give much away, there is one scene towards the end involving Hulk and Loki that may just be the funniest scene ever in the history of movies. Each characters gets his due, they play off each other brilliantly. Above all the movie when it decides to get the audience to laugh does a hell of a job.
The story is one of weaknesses and it never immerses the audience in the movie and you always feel that you are watching really cool stuff happening from a distance. The story, which is quite simple really, can be summed up in two sentences. Loki has a deal with some aliens that if they help him take over the earth, he will give them a blue cube sort of a thing, which is very powerful. Loki builds a gateway, something like the one between Earth and Asgard in Thor, and the aliens arrive and the Avengers beat them and Loki.
Though Loki is the main villain, and he does get nasty and clever at times, he is not who the heroes end up fighting in the final battle. A whole army pops out of the sky, (quite literally) and while all along you are told an army is coming, when it does arrive you sort of wonder who are they exactly. Consequently the army itself, which in this instance happen to be essentially aliens from another of the nine worlds in the Thor story, seem very replaceable, and it would really not make a difference if the army the Avengers end up fighting were huge giant robots. Essentially what the movie makers are telling us that now a big army has arrived and the heroes have a hard task, and that isn't exactly great storytelling.
Secondly given the way this alien army is disposed off, by essentially shooting them with guns and arrows, you sort of wonder was this threat big enough to require the Avengers, I mean the army or the navy would have taken care of it, really. In other words the threat doesn't exactly overwhelm you when it arrives.
My biggest problem with the story however is that when all the fighting is done there are no lasting impacts, I mean everyone walks off as if nothing happened and things are normal. The kind of invasion that has just taken place would quite frankly be one of those world changing events, but not in the movie, everyone just walks off as if nothing happened.
In terms of performances there is not one performance which seems uncool, everyone has they fair share of funny lines to say and look really cool and do things in style. One set of dialogues sums up the final battle, and it goes like this:-
Loki - I have an army
Iron Man - We have Hulk.
This in essence is the final battle for you. Hulk is good enough to wipe out the entire army, and really owns the final battle. Had it not been for the fact that the aliens were just too many in number and even Hulk is not someone who can be everywhere, the other heroes might not even be required. So to give the other heroes something to do there are enough aliens to keep everyone busy and a nuclear bomb thrown into the mix. However don't let this give you the impression that the movie is about Hulk, no its not, its about the others as much as it is about Hulk, just that Hulk is the biggest weapon the Avengers have against the alien army, and he pretty much owns every scene he is in. Some of the comedy involving Hulk is just awesome as well, and let me again remind you not to miss the Loki and Hulk Scene towards the end.
So in short the focus of the movie is not on an in depth story, its purely about style. The Avengers is a great example of how if you put enough style into a movie, the simplest of plots can provide tonnes of entertainment. I keep harping on the fact that Avengers is an "entertainer" meaning that if you want to have a good time you need to go this movie, you will have a really very great time. The story has its flaws, but if you are out with friends and looking to have fun, you won't exactly watch Schindler's List will you, you will go for something like Hangover. Avengers is awesome entertainer and right up there with the best of them and is a definite must watch.
Lastly a lot of talk was on how the Avengers will compare to the Dark Knight and really there is no scope for comparison. I mean trying to compare the two movies is like trying to compare an Apple and a Television Set. I mean they are so different to each other that a comparison is not possible. The only similarity is that they both have Superheroes in them, and that is where the similarity ends. They both are trying to be very different movies, and to try and compare them is futile.
So go watch Avengers, you will have a great time.
8/10 (only because I cannot rate it 8.5/10)
Battleship (2012)
A Mindless action movie, nothing more nothing less - Extremely Poor Editing Though
If one wanted, one could really rip this movie apart into shreds, but that would be a very misguided review, because the movie never really claims to be anything more than a mindless action movie, where you are supposed to enjoy the explosion and forget about the movie once you leave the movie hall. So there is really no sense in walking into this movie, expecting it to anything other than that. If you are looking for gut wrenching scenes and great story development, then you walked into the wrong movie.
So to judge the movie on what it is not, and trust me there is plenty that it is not, would be wrong and rather unfair. So there is only one question to ask, and that is whether it delivers enough action, and the answer is Yes. There are lots of booms and things exploding every few seconds and some of the characters are even given a semblance of a storyline. So there are lots of guys trying to do heroic things and kicking some alien butt.
I would have rated this movie higher had the editing been better. The editing is just horrible. For starters the movie kills too much time at the start before anything happens. I mean we see what appears to be an entire football game, before the aliens arrive. I mean we know they are coming, so it is rather a waste of time to spend so long in the movie watching actors basically eat dinner and, well, play football till the aliens get here......y couldn't we just fast forward to the part that aliens arrive, because the rest of the stuff they show is just not interesting enough.
Another example of poor editing and also poor direction, is we get a scene where an alien is just shown lying captured by the navy and one of the characters just recounts how it was captured, and we don't get a scene of him being captured. I mean we spent 5 - 7 mins of the movie watching a football game, wouldn't that time have been better served by having the scene where the alien was captured instead.
Once the aliens arrive however, the explosions start, and if you like action movies, then you won't find too many issues with the movies as there are enough explosions to satisfy even the most hard to please action movie fans, along with plenty of other over the top "hero" moments from various actors.
If you give it a miss then you won't exactly be missing out on movie history. So wait for it to be out on DVD and rent it.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
An Unflattering Remake of the original
I have seen the TV Series and while there are some variations in the story, they are very minor ones, and the movie is essentially a scene by scene copy of the TV series. Sure there are some differences and the scenes have been made smaller and all that, but every scene is there in the TV series in one form or the other.
However this is not why I am saying the TV series was better. Given the scenes are same, there is a better effect in the TV series, than in the movie. The performances are so much better in the TV series. Percy Alleline in the movie is not even anywhere close to the Percy Alleline of the TV Series. Control, a one man empire, who was fast losing control of everything around him, and who took an all or nothing gamble is just way better portrayed in the TV series. Control in the movie just comes off as arrogant, and fails to gain any sympathy from the audience. The TV series control even though he was even more of a sod, always had sympathy from the viewer. The conversation between Bill Hayden and Smiley, at the end is just so much more meaningful and deep and poignant in the TV series, and is one of the highlights for me, it just seems so pointless, in the movie. It would make no difference if it wasn't there.
Take the individual scenes, for instance, take the scene where Peter Guillam has to meet, the four after he has stolen the log file, and if you compare the scene in the Series, and in the movie, the TV scene comes off a thousand times better. In fact I can't remember one scene in the movie which comes off as better than the TV series.
The entire power struggle between Control and Alleline, which makes us understand why a desperate Control, the head of British Intelligence, would take such an all or nothing gamble, as gone missing, and really Control's actions, in the movie make no sense to me.
Even Oldman as George Smiley is only a shadow of Smiley's TV Verison. The Smiley in the TV Series never raises his voice, the look in his eyes change and thats all you need to convey to you that he is angry, happy, stern or amiable, and he could move between one to the other almost at the flick of a switch. Hearing Gary Oldman raise his voice and shout is just plain not George Smiley. Bill Hayden in the TV Series, as laughing and amiable agent, is so much better than the movie one, even though this was played by an Acedemy Award winning actor.
The four main characters Alleline, Hayden, Control and Smiley are way better in the TV series than anything I saw in the movie. Even the supporting cast, Prideaux and Guillam, happen to be way better in the TV series. Though two be honest, Prideax and Guillam are the ones who come closest to emulating their counterparts from the TV series, but still fall some way short. Benedict Cumberbatch does his growing reputation no harm, and for me he is the stand out performance in the movie.
As for Tom Hardy, I wonder why he took the role at all.
If you have not seen the TV Series, then you will no doubt like the movie and perhaps rate it at 8, but having seen the series this would be nothing more than a 6.7 at best for me. Though I admit that would be a little harsh on the movie, as I am letting my TV series experience in the way.
I will therefore rate it at 7/10.
Last word, if you have not yet seen this Movie, then I suggest you watch the TV series, its the original product and the movie falls well short of getting anywhere near it. If you have seen the TV Series, then I suggest don't bother watching this rather cheap imitation.
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Arguably The Most Underrated Movie Ever
The background of every outdoor shot, is incredible, the sky, the crops the grass, the snow !! Every outdoor shot is like a beautiful painting in motion.Its the most vivid and alive cinematography I remember in any movie. Most movies that have great cinematography tend to make things dark and lean towards noir, but in this movie I found the cinematography to be exactly the opposite, and far from making things dark and dull, the screen just seems so alive. This was the first thing that struck me about this movie and drew me in.
The movie is one of the most comprehensive studies, of how the fear of a man can paralyse people, and how fear can make a man seem invincible to another, and how that fear will often lead us to greatly over estimate the situation and the danger present, and how that fear will lead us to take drastic steps. Brad Pitt as Jesse James is inspiring, and very believable as the feared Jesse James.
Jesse James is a bandit, robber whatever you might wanna call him, that the people are afraid of, who chooses to justify his robberies in the name of the civil war, and is a hero to all those who are on the same side of the war as him. He has a demigod status among his followers and band members, and they say you can never sneak up on Jesse James, and you can, never betray him, for, no one knows how, but Jesse is always wise to every police party that has ever turned up at his door to arrest him, or of any gang member who has even thought of betraying him. There are kids that have grown up reading about his stories. One such kid is Robert Ford, who has a whole collection of things related to Jesse James and is encyclopedia on the man. He is a meek kid, who has been bullied all his life, and who, to use a very clichéd line, has been nobody all his life. He has only ever had one dream that of being Jesse James. During one of the conversations, Jesse James in fact clearly asks him "Do you want to be LIKE me, or do you want to BE me." One day, with the help of his elder brother, gets to join Jesse James' gang and rob a train, and after the job is done, Jesse James, whose main crew has either retired or in jail, takes Robert Ford in his gang. Robert Ford is of course delighted, and tries to impress Jesse James all the time including with flattery. Jesse James realises that he has some kind of control over Robert Ford, and he uses him for rather unconventional chores, like carrying his stuff while shifting house, among other things. Jesse James at times finds Robert Ford to be queer and well weird. Robert Ford is subject to ridicule constantly from every member of the gang, and at times from Jesse James himself.
Jesse James being one of the most, renowned criminals of his time has a huge bounty on his, and so some gang members are plotting to turn him in, and take the bounty himself. Then comes the moment, when the hero, who has been worshiped for so long falls from grace. Jesse James, at one mission opts to take Robert Ford's brother, instead of Robert Ford with him, and Robert Ford can't take it anymore. In his fury, and desire for fame, a desire for renown which ever bullied kid has in him, he does something drastic, and that forces him to live in constant fear of Jesse James, and he is worried, that if Jesse James finds out what he has done he will be killed, and a part of him tells him that Jesse James already knows.
This fear paralyses him. Jesse asks Robert Ford and Robert Ford's brother, to join him on a trip to rob a bank, and they stay at Jesse's House for a day or two. It is here that things reach a boiling point, and it is a great study in human nature and drama, of how fear can drive someone to take drastic steps out of imagined danger.
Brad Pitt as Jesse James, is exactly what the character should be, and in every scene he is in, you know he is in control of the situation. It is however, Cassey Affleck, who steals the show as the lost, self doubting, scared, self confidence lacking Robert Ford. His performance deserved more recognition than just the academy award nomination that he got for the role. I had seen Cassey Affleck in Gone Baby Gone, and found him to be superb, but as Robert Ford, I think it is one of the most memorable performances of the decade by an actor. The rest of the cast also turn in top level performances.
The movie is a very deep study in character development, and human drama, and human nature. Some might find the pacing in the movie slow, so its not a movie for everyone. If the pacing in Shawshank Redemption and Schindler's List was alright for you, then you will not find this movie's pacing any problem. Any good story needs time to tell its story, and this movie is no different. Another word of caution is that some may have the misconception that this is a typical spaghetti western, with lots of fast gun drawing action, and shooting. Its not, its nothing like a spaghetti western, and if you into the movie expecting a lot of gunfire on screen then you will be disappointed. This movie has little mindless action, and focuses entirely on the human aspects, and is a great study in human nature.
All in all, I think without doubt that this is one of the most underrated movies of all time.
Margin Call (2011)
An awesome star cast and great performances from everyone
I must say that there has been a real dearth of good movies this year, not the ones that you enjoy watching but forget the moment its over. There have not been too many movies this year, that remain with you after you have seen them. I feel if we make a list of the top 10 movies released in 2011 it would be a really easy task. The truly good movies draw you into the movie and you feel a part of the movie and what is going on rather than a disinterested observer looking in from the outside. If a movie can achieve this simple task then you are going to remember it after its over. I am not saying you relate to the movie, you might not relate to anything on the screen at all, but even so the movie can still draw u in and involve you. This is what this movie does so brilliantly.
Lets get the obvious out of the way, yes its a movie about the start of the Depression of 2008 told from the point of view of one company. Yes there were thousands affected, those who lost their jobs and those that found it difficult to find jobs, and those that lost their homes. It perhaps is the defining event of this century, so far.
However it depicts the phase before things got really bad. Before people started losing their homes. It is a story of the phase right before the depression starts, told from the point of view of one particular company. When their management just finds out that its assets have become worthless. I am not saying you won't relate to the movie, you just might, and perhaps many of you will, but thats not the point with the movie, it just draws you in, and you feel, like you are in the room when the people are discussing what they can do to salvage the situation.
One aspect of the movie is that really this is the only I remember where there are absolutely no good guys and no bad guys, and while sure, you like some characters more than others, but there are absolutely no bad guys. Just a group of people who find out that their company has become worthless and must now take whatever steps they can to salvage a rather hopeless situation.
Fortunately the movie saves us a lot of the financial jargon, and doesn't go too deep into the economics of it. All we know is that there is an a lowly analyst, while filling in some numbers discovers that "X" has happened and blah blah blah, the company is now worthless. This is about all the info you need. What the movie leaves no doubt is the graveness of the situation, and you know something really important is going on.
Another aspect shown really well is the hierarchy within a company, and I especially like the way the nervousness of a lowly analyst has been captured when asked to speak directly to the senior management of the company. These and other human elements, like everyone trying to suggest that they flagged the issues, and that someone else be held responsible, the insecurity of the people making the decisions as to whether they will jobs tomorrow (in fact most of them are sure that they will lose their jobs), and yet the way they ignore this uncertainty and still try to salvage a bad scenario is just very well told. The movie is not a documentary on the economic depression, its a human story told with the economic depression as a background.
The feeble nature of morality, is depicted very well here, and we are at a point when nothing is right or wrong, just some actions that need to be taken, which are nothing right nor wrong, but whichever way the people act, there will be thousands affected.
Above all, its one of the most talented cast put together on screen in a very long time, and there is not one poor performance, in fact there are lots of really good ones. Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, Demi Moore, Simon Baker all put in stand out performances, but really Jeremy Irons and Zachary Quinto are the two stand out performances for me. Its really an ensemble as everyone gets about the perfect screen time.
Forget the depression, if you like good human stories then watch this. The depression is irrelevant, its almost a distraction, all the audience needs to know is that there is a hopeless situation (which just happens to be the depression, but could have been anything else like a war, or anything else) and how a group of people try and salvage the situation. Great performances from everyone in the cast. One of the better movies out this year without a shadow of doubt. 8/10.
A Bit of Fry & Laurie (1987)
A Lot of Laughter and Wit
It is a shame really that people will always know Hugh Laurie for House, and remember him as a serious actor, and will perhaps know the comedy actor in him. Not that Laurie in House is not good I mean he is great, but Hugh Laurie the true actor is a comedian and its a shame that most of his fans, especially those who started following him after House will never be introduced to his true works.
Well enough about Hugh Laurie, and on to the show as Hugh is only half of the show, the other half the always funny Stephan Fry. My first brush with the pair was in Blackadder, and along with Rowan Atkinson the three formed the pillars of British Comedy. It is an absolute delight for someone who likes good comedy that two of the three (Fry and Laurie), through this show, were given a license to go totally free and let loose their sense of comedy, no holds barred.
The show is essentially a series of skits performed by Fry and Laurie, and with each skit they take on different roles, though a few skits and roles are sometimes repeated, like Tony and Control,the good natured secret service men. In between skits sometimes we have a few fillers where Laurie and Fry are common London citizens and are randomly interviewed. In these interviews we never see or hear the question, and rather only the response they give, which works great as we can think up the question, which is fun. An example of this, which I recall off hand, is Fry dressed as an elderly person, saying I wouldn't suck it (or some variant thereof). We never hear the question, and Fry walks off after saying this, and that is that. These fillers are incredibly funny in themselves, and Laurie and Fry often even dress as women for the interviews. Another one which I remember is when Fry dressed as a woman is being interviewed, and Laurie, also dressed as a woman, walks up behind 'her', and threatens to write a stiff letter to the authorities. "I will write a stiff letter a very stiff letter....I will write it on a piece of card board." It was funny, damn funny and I seem to remember that this was the only interview filler where there was any direct interaction between the two actors.
The skits, which are the main focus of the show are very varied, and the two lead characters take on various roles and the setting change, from 1990s to the medieval ages at times even. Each skit on an average runs for about 3-5 mins, and these skits often break the audience wall as it is known and in one particular skit, there were subtitles at the bottom of the screen which pointed out to a man in the audience and said we can zoom right upto to his nostrils, which the camera later does. Another instance of this is when Fry goes and sits in the studio audience requesting them to fondle is bottom. Some characters and skits are repeated over the series and the their story is continued, from episode to episode. Tony and Control or two businessmen trying to fight of an adversary named Marjorie, were quite frequent.
Everyone has their favorite skits, and mine is Fry as a Policeman and Laurie as Mr. Nippl-e, where the pronunciation of Nippl-e is essentially the sound produced by dropping a small piece of wood on a table. That skit is absolute genius and very funny. Other regular elements of the show are Fry suddenly rambling on without a break, into the most perfect English, while in reality he is talking gibberish, and Laurie having a series of chat shows like 'realising I have given the wrong directions to.....' or 'Introducing my grandfather to....', 'or photocopying my genitals with.....' which are quite funny. A character whose name we hear a lot but who is never actually seen, Mr. Dalliard, is another semi-regular on the show. Another regular towards the latter seasons is every episode ending with Laurie playing the piano while Fry does an erratic and clumsy dance, while preparing a cocktail. The phrases "Please Mr. Music will you play" and "Soupy twist" are regular in the last two seasons.
In between all this is music and each of the characters take turn performing some songs, with some humorous lyrics, and Fry even got to Michael Jackson in one and do the 'moonwalk' with the help of a treadmill.
All in all the show is a work of art, and anyone who claims himself to be fond of comedy has to watch this show. It is a masterpiece, created by two masters of the art of comedy who in the show were given the license to just let their creativity run wild. Ultimately 4 seasons seems a little too less and I wish Laurie would one day return to comedy and give us at least one more episode of the show along with Fry. Admittedly not everyone will like every skit and some will like some skits more than others, but the layers of the show are so many that you are bound to find about the show that you absolutely love.
A must for all those who enjoy good comedy....a definite 9 on 10.
The Perfect Host (2010)
Quite Good
This movie is way better than the rating of 6.9 it presently has on IMDb and I would give it a definite 7.4. The movie was a fun through out, though a bit of a letdown when it tried to be a little too clever for its own good towards the end. But the first half of the movie, till the setting of the movie is in David Hyde Pierce's house, is incredible. David Hyde Pierce has acted so well in this movie that its will be hard for him to top this. I was a big fan of his from Frasier and honestly he has outdone himself in this movie, and has played his role to perfection and I can't think of anyway in which the performance could be bettered. The predicament in which the bank robber finds himself while trapped in the house is outrageously funny, at least it was to me, and at the same time you feel sorry for the robber, and are asking yourself who really is the good guy here. The plot of the movie is rather easy and can be summed up in a sentence. A bank robber looking to avoid the police, forces his way into the house of David Hyde Pierce and then rather unexpectedly the tables turn on him. Writing any further I am afraid would give away the entire movie, some might say that perhaps I have already given away the movie by writing this one sentence.
The only point where I feel the movie let me down was that it tried to be too smart at the end, and a movie with a plot really simple, one that which can be summed up in one sentence, should perhaps try and keep things simple and not look for complications in the story just for the heck of it, and this I am afraid was where the movie was a bit wrong. Despite, not having a great story, but a great premise, David Hyde Pierce's performance alone is worth a watching the movie for. I wish I could rate it at 7.4, as 7 seems too low and 8 too high. Due to the constraints I must give it 7, as its definitely not an 8. 7.4 would be the appropriate rating though.
Russell Peters: The Green Card Tour - Live from The O2 Arena (2011)
Funny but not Russell Peters Funny
I was disappointed with this one to be honest. Don't get me wrong, this was funny, but with Russell Peters and his past works one has come to expect a whole different level of funny, than this on delivered. This DVD could have come from most comedians today, the jokes are funny and u laugh for a bit, but Russell Peters has a standard much higher than this. There is the usual about race and cultures and Indians and White Guys and so on, the usual Russell Peters stuff, but there were so many jokes that just didn't work, like the one where he tells people about a Nightclub in the middle east and what happens when he went inside. The reason why it didn't work was that the joke felt incomplete, and the same can be said about many of the jokes. They are very funny to the point they abruptly end and leave you with a sense of incompleteness. Its almost as if the jokes were written by Russell and his team in a hurry on the way to the O2 Arena, and they wrote a bit of one joke and quickly moved onto another. Another aspect which took some shine off it for me was that the live audience also didn't seem to be totally into it. All in all as the heading says it was funny, but the kind of show most comedians out there could have delivered, and from Russell Peters one expects a whole different level of funny and sadly this never hits the Russell Peters Funny Height. 7 out of 10 for me.
Episodes (2011)
Funny Doesn't even BEGIN to Describe the Show
It is so hard to find good comedy these days and in times of such dearth of good comedies Episodes is definitely a whiff of fresh air, and a welcome change. What sets the show apart from the rest is the show never attempts to go over the top in an attempt to extract some cheap laughs from its audience. It is a show where everyone is doing just what they are supposed to do, behaving normally and the situations and misunderstandings that develop are just brilliant and you cannot help laughing. Good Comedy is not about some laughs by putting in a lot of one liners, and rather good comedy needs to be built up just as good drama or suspense, and the show does it perfectly. The show is full of moments had had me laughing and wanting more, but there is a lot of build up to those moments, and they are not sprung upon the audience like a trap. Often there are almost ignored elements in the show which are damn funny later on, like the moment when Beverly screams at the door saying "Does this B**** ever shut up." The show has many aspects to it, and besides being a brilliant satire on the TV Production industry thanks in no small part to John Pankow's character Marc Lapidus, or Katheline Rose Perkins, it is also a rather touching story of two happily married and successful British writers who almost against their will are forced into the fiasco and trap (in a good natured way) that is Marc Lapidus and they quickly find out that things aren't what they seem. Amidst of all this of course is Matt Le Blanc and all those who expect him to be Joey from Friends are in for a surprise. Gone are the physical humor or silliness of Joey and have been replaced by a far more sophisticated and suave Matt Le Blanc and as a big fan of Joey on Friends I honestly think this version is better and so much funnier. Lastly the show is not about Matt Le Balnc alone. If I may take the liberty then I would go so far as to say that the show is as much about Sean and Beverly Lincoln (Stephen Mangan and Tamsin Greig) as it is about Matt Le Blanc, if not more. All in all I would strongly recommend it to anyone who has a good taste in comedy.